Visiting Syracuse, the birthplace of Archimedes, was my old dream. Of course, when we were vacationing in Sicily, in Taormina, I had to visit this legendary Greek city. Below on the map are the sights that we visited.
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1 . Archaeological park - quarries ( Ear of Dionysus), the Greek theater of Syracuse, the Roman amphitheater, 2. Spring of Arethusa, 3 . Cathedral Piazza square del Duomo, 4. Temple of Apollo - one of the first in Syracuse, 5 . Archimedes Square, 6 . Catacombs of Saint John
The ruins of the temple of Apollo - the first in Greek Syracuse.
A bit of Syracuse history.
syracuse- one of the first Greek colonies on the island. This ancient city was founded by the Corinthians around 735 BC. e. The settlement arose on the island of Ortigia, around the freshwater spring of Aretuza. There is a legend associated with this source. According to which Arethusa is a nymph. She chose to become a source rather than submit to the river god Alpheus.
Dionysius the Elder
Syracuse was famous for its tyrants. By the way, a tyrant is a person who forcibly seized power. One of them was Dionysius the Elder(405 - 367 BC)
He arrested his rich enemies. And their lands were divided among the ruined poor. With the rest of the money, he recruited mercenaries, expelled the Carthaginians, and united two-thirds of Sicily under his single authority. Scouts and scammers from Dionysius were the best in Greece.
Quarry "Ear of Dionysus" The famous Syracuse quarries served Dionysius as hard labor, where he kept his opponents. Here people suffered for years and decades, gave birth to children, and when they grew up and were released into the wild, they shied away from the sunlight. These old quarries are called "Ear of Dionysus". Because of that in these quarries excellent acoustics and everything that the prisoners said among themselves became known to Dionysius.
entrance to the quarry One of the legends is connected with Dionysius' friend Damocles. Once he expressed a desire: "I wish I could live like tyrants live!" Dionysius replied: "If you please!" Damocles was luxuriously dressed, seated behind a magnificent steel and began to serve. Damocles was enjoying his meal when he noticed a horsehair sword hanging from the ceiling above his head. And then a piece stuck in his throat. He asked: "What does this mean?" This is how the expression "Sword of Damocles" appeared.
Greek theater in Syracuse - one of the largest in the ancient world Dionysius was an amateur poet. His adviser was the lyric Philoxenus. Once Dionysius read his poems to him. And Philoxenus listened and said: “Bad!”. Then the tyrant became angry and ordered to be thrown into the quarry. They say that when Dionysius called him again and read new verses, Philoxenus sighed, turned to the head of the guard and said: "Take me back to the quarry!" This time Dionysius laughed and forgave him. One of the faces in the Syracuse quarries was called Filoksenov.
Under Dionysius I, Syracuse consisted of four quarters. The population reached 500,000. At the highest point of the city was the acropolis. Here now Cathedral Square. On the site of the cathedral stood the temple of Athena. The remains of its columns can be observed inside the cathedral.
Doric columns - part of the temple of Athena, used in the construction of the cathedral The capture of Syracuse and the death of Archimedes
Syracuse was the supporters of Rome in the war with Carthage. However, in 215 BC. e. After the death of King Hieron II, the Circuses entered into an agreement with Carthage. This was a big mistake. Because in 214 the Roman commander Marcellus approached Syracuse with an army and besieged it from the sea and land. During the capture of Syracuse, the famous scientist Archimedes died.
Archimedes Square Archimedes born in 287 BC in Syracuse. He studied in Alexandria and his first works were devoted to mechanics. Archimedes was not only a mathematician and mechanic, but also one of the greatest engineers and designers of his time. For example, he invented a machine for watering the fields "Snail", a water-lifting screw (Archimedes' screw), various military vehicles.
Ruins of a Roman amphitheater When the Romans laid siege to Syracuse, it was Archimedes' turn. The Greek historian Plutarch wrote: “During the double attack of the Romans (from land and from the sea), the Syracusans were dumbfounded, stricken with horror. That they could resist such forces, such a powerful army? Archimedes started his machines. The land army was struck by a hail of projectiles and huge stones thrown with great swiftness. Nothing could resist their cause, they threw everything before them and brought confusion to the ranks. As for the fleet, suddenly, from the height of the walls, the logs fell, due to their weight and natural speed, onto the ships and drowned them.
The Mediterranean island of Sicily is rich in wonders, which, without a doubt, can be ranked - a limestone cave located in the city of Syracuse. As you might guess, it got its name due to the fact that it resembles the human ear in shape and properties.
The cave has a very specific acoustic shape, and therefore, an amazing sound effect can be observed in it. Even a very quiet sound produced in one strictly defined place can be perfectly heard in a completely different, close to the exit, end of the cave. It was this property of the Ear of Dionysius that glorified him all over the world.
The height of the vaults of the Ear of Dionysius reaches 23 meters, the tunnel goes deep into the rock for 65 meters. The cave, strongly tapering towards the top, has the shape of a drop, but if you imagine it in a horizontal plane, it will resemble the letter "s". It is thanks to this unique shape that the cave has amazing properties.
The cave owes its current name to the great Italian artist Caravaggio, who invented it back in 1586. Dionysius I - Syracusan tyrant, who lived in the IV century BC. e .. He became famous for his exceptional cruelty and inhumanity. It is believed that the name of the cave was given in his honor. According to legend, the cave was very attractive to Dionysius and was used by him as a prison to keep his political opponents. Thanks to its acoustic properties, he easily ferreted out the plans and secrets of his opponents. But it is possible that this legend was invented by Caravaggio himself.
There is another legend, more terrible than the first. It says that on the orders of Dionysius, the cave was carved in the shape of an ear in order to amplify the screams of the captives being tortured in it.
However, there are very serious grounds for believing that the Ear of Dionysius still has a natural origin. The cave could have been formed in prehistoric times, under the influence of heavy rains. In favor of such a theory is the fact that the Ear of Dionysius is located in a low hillside, which consists of hard rocks, and in shape resembles the shapes of canyons, which in in large numbers can be seen on geographical map Utah (USA).
Because of the excellent acoustics and unusual shape, ancient people revered the Ear of Dionysius as sacred place, which helped him to survive well to our time. But the limestone of which the cave is known to be made is very sensitive to environmental conditions, and over time it breaks down. Today, unfortunately, the acoustic phenomenon has become inaccessible to us, because due to the collapse, the place of the "focus" is closed from people.
Information for tourists
You can read about other sights of Sicily at http://travels.co.ua. After all, this is the most big Island mediterranean sea, which is the progenitor of ancient civilizations.
Address of the cave Ear of Dionysius
Italy, the city of Syracuse, Viale Paradiso, on the territory of the Archaeological Park.
Open from 9-00 to 18-00, visiting the cave is free.
Interesting about the Italian language.
History, facts, modernity.
Let's start with a couple of words about the current status of the language, it is obvious that Italian is the official language in Italy, the Vatican (simultaneously with Latin), in San Marino, but also in Switzerland (in its Italian part, the canton of Ticino) and in several counties in Croatia and Slovenia, where there is a large Italian-speaking population, Italian is also spoken by a part of the inhabitants on the island of Malta.
Italian dialects - can we understand each other?
In Italy itself, even today you can hear many dialects, sometimes it is enough to drive only a few tens of kilometers to encounter another of them.At the same time, dialects are often so different from each other that they can seem like completely different languages. If people from, for example, the northern and central Italian "outback" meet, then they may not even be able to understand each other.
What is especially interesting is that in addition to the oral form, some of the dialects also have a written one, such as the Neopolitan, Venetian, Milanese and Sicilian dialects.
The latter exists, respectively, on the island of Sicily and is so different from other dialects that some researchers distinguish it as a separate Sardinian language.
However, in everyday communication and, in particular, major cities you are unlikely to experience any inconvenience, because. today the dialects are mainly spoken by older people in the countryside, while young people use the correct literary language, which unites all Italians, the language of radio and, of course, television.
It may be mentioned here that until the end of the Second World War, modern Italian was only a written language used by the ruling class, scientists and administrative institutions, and it was television that played a large role in spreading the generally accepted Italian among all residents.
How it all began, origins
The history of the formation of modern Italian as we all know it is closely connected with the history of Italy and certainly no less fascinating.Origins - in ancient Rome, everything was in the Roman language, commonly known as Latin, which at that time was the official state language Roman Empire. In the future, from Latin, in fact, the Italian language and many other languages \u200b\u200bof Europe arose.
Therefore, knowing Latin, you can understand what a Spaniard is saying, plus or minus a Portuguese, and you can even make out part of the speech of an Englishman or Frenchman.
In 476, the last Roman emperor Romulus-Augustula abdicated, after the capture of Rome by the leader of the Germans Odoacar, this date is considered the end of the Great Roman Empire.
Some also call it the end of the "Roman language", however, even today disputes still do not subside, because of what exactly the Latin language has lost its relevance, due to the capture of the Roman Empire by the barbarians, or was it a natural process and in what language itself spoke towards the end of the Roman Empire.
According to one of the versions, ancient rome by this time, along with Latin, the spoken language was already widespread, and it is from this folk language of Rome that Italian comes, which we know as Italian of the 16th century, according to the second version, due to the invasion of the barbarians, Latin was mixed with various barbarian languages and dialects and it is from this synthesis that the Italian language already originates.
Birthday - first mentioned
960 is considered the birthday of the Italian language. The first document is associated with this date, where this "proto-folk language" is present - vulgare, these are court papers related to the land litigation of the Benedictine abbey, the witnesses used this particular version of the language so that the testimony was understandable to as many people as possible, up to this point in all official papers we can see only Latin.And then there was a gradual spread in the ubiquitous life of the vulgare language, which translates as a folk language, which became the prototype of the modern Italian language.
However, the story does not end there, but only becomes more interesting and the next stage is associated with the Renaissance and with such well-known names as Dante Alighiere, F. Petrarch, J. Bocaccio and others.
to be continued...
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If you want to translate a large text or need other languages, use the full version of the online dictionary, where there are more than 40 languages on a separate blog page - /p/onlain-perevodchik.html
Italian self-instruction manual
I present a new separate section for all learners of the Italian language - Italian Tutorial for Beginners.Of course, it is not easy to make a full-fledged Italian tutorial from a blog, but I try to give the most convenient and logical sequence of interesting online lessons so that you can learn Italian from them yourself.
There will also be a section - an audio tutorial, where, as you might guess, there will be lessons with audio applications that can be downloaded or listened to directly on the site.
How to choose an Italian language tutorial, where to download it, or how to study it online, you will find information about this in my posts.
By the way, if someone has ideas or suggestions on how best to organize such a tutorial on our Italian blog, then be sure to write to me.
Italian via Skype
Secrets of how to learn Italian via Skype for free, whether a native speaker is always needed, how to choose a teacher, how much it costs to learn Italian via Skype, how not to waste your time and money - read about all this in the section "Italian via Skype.Come, read and make the right choice!
Italian phrasebook
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In chapter "
The Ear of Dionysius is a limestone cave located in the city of Syracuse in Sicily (Syracuse). It has such a name because of its shape, reminiscent of the human ear. Its origin is not known for certain. The main version says that this cave was created artificially on the site of an ancient quarry. Although some researchers put forward the version that the Ear of Dionysius is much older and is of natural origin.
The cave is 23 m high and extends 65 m deep into the rock. If you look at it from above, you will notice that the cave has an S-shaped bend. And the entrance to the cave is shaped like a drop. Inside the cave narrows towards the top.
This shape of the cave is the reason why it has incredibly good acoustics - even a quiet whisper can be heard throughout the room.
Name.
The cave received its name, “Ear of Dionysius”, in 1586, and it was given such an unusual name by none other than the great Italian artist Caravaggio.
Why exactly this name? There are several legends explaining the reason why Caravaggio named this cave so. According to one of them, the Syracusan tyrant Dionysius used this cave as a prison for his political opponents and, thanks to perfect acoustics, eavesdropped on their plans and learned their secrets.
Another legend says that Dionysius ordered an ear-shaped cave to be dug out so that it would amplify the screams of captives who were brutally tortured here. The first legend seems more plausible to me. Unfortunately, we will not know exactly which of the legends the artist was guided by, just as it is already impossible today to enjoy that magnificent acoustics, since access to it central point closed.
Ear of Dionysius - this is also the name of the type of auditory tube with a flexible hose.
Origin.
Proponents of the version of the natural origin of the cave argue that it is located in a low hillside, consisting of hard rocks, and could have been formed as a result of rains in prehistoric times. Similar geological formations can be seen in the US state of Utah. The narrowness of the upper part of the cave and downward expansion along with the serpentine shape are also characteristic of slot canyons.
December 8, 2013
Ear of Dionysius - this is the name of one of the most interesting and unusual caves Italy. It is located on the island of Sicily in the city of Syracuse. The cave is rightfully considered a real miracle.
The shape and size of the unusual "Ear"
cave in has interesting shape. It resembles a human ear. Its height is about 23 meters. In the depths of a huge cliff, the cave stretches for almost 65 meters. Upward, the vaults of the cave narrow very strongly and form a drop shape.
The acoustics here are incredible. The unique effect of sound propagation appears due to this form of space organization. Even the most quietly spoken word, but always pronounced in a strictly defined place, will be heard in another part of the cave, located closer to the exit. Thanks to such unusual properties of the acoustics of the cave, it is famous all over the world.
The legend of the origin of the Italian ear-shaped cave
Such strange name gave the cave the famous painter Caravaggio back in 1586. He came up with a story that in ancient times the tyrant of Syracuse, whose name was Dionysius I, set up a prison in this cave, where he kept opponents of the government and prisoners. The prisoners were placed in a strictly designated part of the cave, and thanks to the amazing acoustics, the cunning Dionysius could hear from a distance and expose the plans of those who were opposed to him.
Another legend tells that the cruel Dionysius ordered to gouge a huge cave in a limestone rock, which had the shape of an ear. Where the sound phenomenon was located, he placed the torture chamber, while he himself listened to the screams of the victims to the side. Creepy, of course.
Scientists are more inclined to believe that the origin of the cave is natural. Since the entrance to this cave is located just on the slope of the limestone massif, as a result of erosion, both water and wind, this miracle of nature appeared. This hypothesis is confirmed by the shape of other similar caves in different parts of the world. The walls of the cave are very smooth, which confirms the version that the water polished the surface for many years.
The natural phenomenon, which is the ear-shaped cave of the island of Sicily, unfortunately, is slowly being destroyed over time. This is because limestone is very susceptible to environmental influences. In our time, the amazing effect of sound propagation is practically inaudible, since the focal point, where the sound should come from, is not accessible for visits due to internal destruction.
The Ear of Dionysius remains one of the incredible sights that many seek to visit. Even if it is impossible to hear all the overflows of sound inside the cave, is it really worth missing the opportunity to get to know the amazingly shaped cave better? And the ringing waterfall, flowing from somewhere deep, adds magic and attraction to this beautiful place.
"Ear of Dionysius" amazing cave Photo
